Authorities are investigating Comma AI's hands-off driving tech after fatal crashes

• NHTSA opened a probe into Comma AI's hands-off driving devices after five reported crashes.
• Regulators said Comma AI devices struck slow-moving or stopped vehicles in their lanes.
• NHTSA had issued a broader warning to driverless-vehicle developers about emergency vehicles.

A device that promises hands-off driving for cars people already own is under federal scrutiny.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a preliminary investigation on September 21 into devices made by Comma AI, the startup founded by security hacker George Hotz, who is no longer managing day-to-day operations but remains a major owner.

Regulators said vehicles equipped with the devices struck slow-moving or stopped vehicles in their lanes. Eleven people were injured, and three people died across the five reported crashes, according to the Office of Defects Investigation.

"ODI has confirmed that the systems were powered on or engaged in multiple crashes," NHTSA wrote. "Preliminary data reviewed by ODI suggests that the comma system may not have adequately detected or responded to the in-lane vehicles."

Authorities also plan to determine what kind of software was running during each crash, adding that some vehicles may have used modified versions, known as forks, of Comma AI's open-source software. The software in question involves comma three, comma 3X, comma four, and OpenPilot.

Comma AI sells an aftermarket device that brings its driver-assistance system to more than 325 car models. The company's website states that the system can steer, accelerate, and brake, and said that it "can drive for hours without intervention."

The website also tells drivers to stay alert and ready to take control at any time, and includes a driver-monitoring system that alerts when it detects driver distraction.

One crash described in the NHTSA reporting appears to match a February incident in Louisiana. A state police report said a Toyota RAV4 hit an unoccupied police vehicle that was stopped in a highway lane with its emergency lights on, and two passengers in the Toyota died. The police did not identify the driving software in their account of the crash.

Other autonomous driving systems and companies have faced investigations over the past few years. NHTSA in 2021 investigated Tesla's Autopilot and said that Teslas using the system struck vehicles stopped at first-responder scenes. There is also an open investigation into Waymo for striking a child near a school in Santa Monica. In July, NHTSA also issued a broader warning to driverless-vehicle developers about vehicles entering emergency scenes or blocking ambulances and firefighters.

Comma AI's own support information lists stationary vehicles in the same lane among conditions that can affect OpenPilot's adaptive cruise control.

Comma AI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.